Two Cranes, Yang Zhengxin

Archive Label 2003 (version 1):
Taiga was a pre-eminent master of the Nanga school, a group of artists in Edo-period Japan (1615-1868) who were inspired by Chinese literati painting. He loved to travel and to climb mountains, and several of his landscapes depict actual sites in Japan.

The left screen represents a conventional view of Mt. Fuji seen from a distance. He describes Mt. Fuji with soft lines and uses the tarashikomi technique of ink or water dropped on still-wet ink. The complementary right screen suggests a view of the mountain as if one were actually climbing it. Taiga uses a variety of dots and thick wavy strokes to depict the swirling clouds and rock formation.

Archive Label 2003 (version 2):
Cranes and pine trees are long-standing East Asian symbols of longevity. Paintings such as this one are frequently presented to the elderly on their birthdays. A graduate of Shanghai Art Institute, Yang specializes in bird and flower subjects. Here he defines the birds and pine with bold, powerful strokes that are a hallmark of his style. Bright washes of color provide a balancing contrast to the rough, dry brushstrokes. The touches of red color on the cranes' heads add further accent.